


Delightful Drabbles: Sterek Edition

by linksofmemories



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Drabble Collection, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-24
Updated: 2014-03-13
Packaged: 2017-12-06 07:21:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 66
Words: 17,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/732950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linksofmemories/pseuds/linksofmemories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sterek drabbles prompted by my lovely followers on tumblr. All are short and fluffy (for the most part) and completely independent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Motorcycle

**Author's Note:**

> [Hobrien Drabble Collection](http://archiveofourown.org/works/751298/chapters/1402661)

“I fucking hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

“Okay, no I don’t, but still,” Stiles huffed, getting off of the bike and trying to steady himself on his feet. “I’m gonna puke.”

“No you’re not.”

“All right, stop trying to deny everything I’m feeling pal, not okay.”

Derek just chuckled (that stupid little obnoxiously wonderful chuckle) and took his helmet off, running a hand through his flattened hair. All the while looking like the stupid male model that he totally had the capability of becoming.

“I guess we’ll be sticking to the Camaro if you don’t want to do this again,” Derek said.

“Uh, yeah, you can count on that,” Stiles nodded. “I can barely stand, you kept taking all of those turns and then there was that big circle.”

“Well, we can always do something else that will make you barely able to stand.”

“That’s literally all you got out of that, isn’t it?”

Derek just smiled.

Asshole.


	2. Popcorn

It was the summer. And it was hot. And Scott was making kissy noises on his cellphone to Allison who was making them back. And their boss was going to be back soon. And Scott was an idiot. And no one wanted to see a movie and eat stale popcorn when it was summer in California.

Scott was working the fryer, bringing the wonderful moviegoers their funnel cakes and elephant ears and corn dogs and curly fries. Isaac was with the ice-cream and drinks, leaning against the freezer with the giant tubs of ice-cream and looking like he was about to fall asleep. Stiles was candy and popcorn guy and of course got abused the most.

They had tried to swap, but the guys were happy in their posts. Well, Scott and Isaac were happy in their posts.

Stiles on the other hand was trying to figure out how to get all of the butter and salt off of the popcorn this obnoxious guy wanted.

“It comes with butter and salt,” Stiles said, gesturing toward the entire case of already made popcorn. “I can add extra, but I can’t take it off.”

“Then make a new batch.”

“I’m not going to make a new batch when there’s a ton already made.”

“Then don’t make a big batch.”

“I only know how to make one size amount.”

Mr. Eyebrows just glared at him, probably hoping that this would scare Stiles into making him what he wanted.

“I can make you a pretzel without salt.”

“I don’t like pretzels.”

“Then what do you like?”

“Popcorn without salt and butter.”

“You are the most _frustrating_ and _obnoxi_ _ous_ -!”

“The customer is always right, Stiles!” Scott chimed in.

“Godammit, Scott, no one asked you!”

“Just give me a medium popcorn,” Mr. Eyebrows said.

“Fine,” Stiles seethed, grabbing a bucket and filling it.

He grabbed the money from the man and angrily gave him his change and receipt before thrusting the bucket toward him.

“Enjoy the show.”

And Stiles definitely did not stare at his ass as he walked away.


	3. Fire

It was supposed to mean warmth and light and life. But all it meant to him was destruction and betrayal and death and hurt.

Maybe it was a little strange, a practically indestructible werewolf inching away anytime someone lit a candle, but it’s just what he did. Laura never had the same problem, she never made fun of him for it though, never made him feel childish or small.

And of course Stiles picked up on it. He was the most observant person he’d ever known and when the pack had insisted on lighting a fire in the fireplace, Stiles had followed when he had walked outside.

The younger man had leaned into him, rested his head on his shoulder, and slumped against him when Derek brought him closer.


	4. Hairbrush

“I remember really stupid things about my mom.”

“I’m sure they’re not stupid.”

“Okay, maybe not stupid, but little, way too small for me to ever make a good memory out of.”

“Try anyway.”

Stiles glanced over at Derek, still trying to figure out how any of this was real, how Derek was in his bed and next to him and sleepily encouraging him to talk about his mom. Their roles felt so strangely reversed. He was always the one trying to get Derek to open up, not the other way around.

“She had really long hair,” Stiles said. “Like, it went to her waist and it was thick and curly and she always complained about it. I remember her taking 10 minutes to brush it in the morning and she always did it with this ornate brush that was my great-great-great grandmother’s. And- this is stupid, I don’t-.”

“It’s not stupid,” Derek said, lacing their fingers together and kissing Stiles’ knuckles. “Keep going, you’re doing great.”


	5. Pirates

“Stop laughing.”

“I’m not laughing.”

“You’re trying very hard not to laugh.”

“Yeah, but I’m definitely not laughing.”

Derek glared. Stiles tried desperately to not burst out into hysterics.

Because Derek had gone as Jack Sparrow to a Halloween party when he had been in college and there were pictures and his sides were killing him from trying to keep in the giggles.

“Do you still have the costume?”

“Dammit, Stiles, this is the last time I try to show you old photos.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Stiles said, finally letting a laugh come out. “I just- You look so-.”

“Shut up, Stiles.”

“Cuddle me, shipmate.”

Derek threw a pillow at him.


	6. Bramble

“Jesus, fuck, mother father, I’m gonna, holy shit on a-.”

“It doesn’t look that bad, man.”

“Scott, you know nothing,” Stiles said, waving his bleeding hand in front of his best friend’s face. “I’m dying. I have just been attacked by a plant while trying to pick blackberries for a pie that your deranged girlfriend-.”

“Pregnant and hormonal girlfriend,” Scott interjected.

“Oh, fine yes, blackberries for the woman carrying your unborn child,” Stiles said.

“Your hand doesn’t look that bad,” Scott said. “I’m sure you just need a band-aid.”

“Sounds like he might need stitches judging by how much he’s complaining.”

Derek came walking from behind a tree, down the path and to where they were standing.

“What are you doing here?” Stiles asked.

“I live here,” Derek said, gesturing behind him to the Hale house.

“Oh. Right.”

“I can patch you up,” Derek said. “I’ve got band-aids and neosporin at the house.”

“Thanks,” Stiles said, following Derek but not before looking back at Scott who was now waggling his eyebrows suggestively.


	7. Graduation

“Your robe’s on backwards.”

“No it’s- It actually isn’t, why did you-?”

Derek pressed his lips against his, curling a hand around the back of his neck and keeping him close.

“What was that for?”

“You’re graduating,” Derek shrugged. “I thought you might deserve something.”

“Funny,” Stiles said, rolling his eyes. “And I am graduating. Thank God, I didn’t think I’d ever make it out of here.”

“I knew you would.”

“I know and then it’s college in the fall.”

There was a bit of a silence after that, long and tense. They’d talked about it before. Derek was staying in Beacon Hills and Stiles was going to Stanford, so many miles away and they would make it work.

They _had_ to make it work.

“Your dad wants you to get downstairs,” Derek said. “He’s ready to go.”

“Right,” Stiles nodded, a hand reaching into his pocket and thumbing nervously at his speech that he’d written last night.

“You’re going to be great,” Derek said, kissing him again.

And yeah, things would all work out.


	8. Loud, Reminiscent, and Hungry

Derek leaned back in the passenger’s seat of the Jeep, trying not to be too disgusted by how Stiles was just shoveling food into his mouth. They were on a stakeout and Stiles insisted that no stakeout was complete without hamburgers and curly fries and there was also something about him having skipped lunch and his stomach had felt like it was eating itself and-.

Well. Derek had zoned out over some of the details.

“Remember our last stakeout?” Stiles said with a mouth full of mashed up food and why did Derek find him so attractive?

“How could I forget?” Derek asked dryly.

There was no way he would ever forget Stiles getting them caught by the warlocks they were watching. He also couldn’t forget Stiles spraying them with pepper spray. Derek still hadn’t properly thanked him for that.

“Those were some good burgers,” Stiles said, taking another bite. “Pepper-jack cheese is the best. It’s just the right amount of spicy.”

And of course Stiles would only remember what he had been eating during their last stakeout.

This time they were watching for a group of hunters that didn’t have the cleanest track record. It was slow-going though and none of the hunters were awake except for the one who was keeping guard.

He needed a distraction and the best distraction was right next to him, finally finishing off his food.

“These hunters probably aren’t going to be up to anything,” Derek said.

“Probably not,” Stiles agreed.

Derek leaned across the console, bringing Stiles’ mouth to his and trying to ignore the fact that it tasted like he was kissing a hamburger.

“Are you suggesting that we-?”

“Yeah.”

“During a stakeout?”

“I don’t see why not.”

Stiles gave him a pleasantly surprised smile before clambering into the tiny backseat.

“You’re gonna have to be quiet though,” Derek said, shrugging off his jacket. “I know how loud you are and we definitely don’t want to get interrupted, do we?”


	9. Insomnia

He hated waking up like this.

It was four AM and the bed next to him was cold and the light in the hallway was on. Stiles sighed, wrapping the comforter around himself before padding out of the room. He rubbed his eyes as he walked down the hall, trying to adjust from complete darkness to the bright light.

The door to Derek’s study was open and he leaned against the door frame, watching Derek work at his desk.

“Der,” he mumbled sleepily in greeting.

Derek looked up, his eyebrows knitting together when he saw Stiles.

“Stiles, what are you doing up?” he asked. “Go back to bed.”

“I will when you will,” Stiles said, walking across the room and around Derek’s desk.

“I can’t sleep,” Derek said, leaning into Stiles as the younger man placed his head on his shoulder.

“Come to bed anyway,” Stiles argued. “I don’t like waking up and not having you there next to me.”

Derek let out a sigh, looking at his work before kissing Stiles’ forehead. “All right.”

Stiles took the liberty of turning his desk lamp off for him.


	10. Applesauce

“He’s slobbering on everything.”

“Stop being dramatic, Derek, he’s not a dog,” Laura said from the other line. “Stiles is such a cutie. Just watch _Aladdin_ with him and give him his applesauce and he’ll be your best friend forever.”

“I don’t want a seven year-old for my best friend,” Derek said. “He’s half my age, Laura.”

“Wow, Derek, you can do basic division, I’m so proud.”

He could practically hear her eye roll.

And then she promptly hung up.

She was a terrible sister.

“Derek.”

Derek turned around, shoving his phone in his pocket and looking down at Stiles. The kid was kind of adorable and the way he was offering Derek his strawberry applesauce kind of made him melt a little.

“Can you open this?”

“Sure, kid,” Derek said, taking the applesauce from him and peeling back the plastic.

“Can we watch a movie?”

“Of course,” he said. “How about _Aladdin_?”

Stiles’ face lit up at that. “Dude, that’s my favorite.”

Derek would have to thank Laura later.


	11. Pharmacist Worker

“Are you here to pick up or drop off?” the (kind of ridiculously sexy, like holy shit, you can give me any meds you want) pharmacist asked.

“Uh, pick up,” Stiles said, hands in his pockets.

He had been meaning to pick up his Adderall for the past two days and he felt like he was going to vibrate out of his skin. His hands wouldn’t stop shaking and he had been talking a mile a minute and he couldn’t focus.

Except for now.

Now he could focus on the broad chest in front of him and the perfect stubble and the gorgeous green eyes and the-.

“Name?” the man - Derek, according to his name tag- asked, his voice agitated.

“Genim Stilinski.”

Derek squinted at him before typing something into his computer. Yeah, Stiles wouldn’t believe that was a real name either.

“Just one for Genim Stilinski,” Derek said. “Your birth date?”

“4-10-95,” Stiles rattled off, now rocking back and forth on his feet.

He watched Derek walk into the back, trying not to get too distracted by the rippling muscles and the fact that he didn’t have a chance since Derek now knew that he was underage.

Unless the guy had a thing for awkward underage virgins. Because Stiles could definitely work with that.

Derek came back with his prescription and then gave him his total. Stiles handed him the money and grabbed his change.

“You’ve taken Adderall before?” Derek asked.

“Yeah, it’s just- It’s been a few days and-.”

“Here,” Derek said, handing him the bag with the pill bottle inside.

“Thanks,” Stiles said, taking the bag and about to recoil his hand when Derek rested one of his on top of it.

“Just take a pill and then sit down in the waiting area,” Derek said. “You shouldn’t drive like this.”

Stiles nodded dutifully before heading to the waiting area where there was a water fountain, feeling Derek’s eyes on him the entire time.


	12. Trust

“You know I’d die for you, don’t you?”

“Goddammit, Derek, shut up.”

“But you do know that.”

“Of course I do,” Stiles said, running a hand through Derek’s dark hair. “And I’d do the same for you.”

“I’ll never let you down.”

“I’ll never lie to you.”

“I’ll never hurt you.”

“I love you,” Stiles sighed, hating that Derek always wanted to go through this, always wanted to confirm that Stiles would never dream of going anywhere.

“But do you trust me?” Derek asked.

He always had. Whether it was trusting Derek to save him from a full moon crazed Isaac when he had been 15 or trusting him to touch him like no one else ever had when he had been 18, he trusted Derek with everything that he had.

“Of course,” Stiles said, knowing that his heartbeat was strong and steady and true.

Derek smiled, leaning forward to kiss his temple. “Thank you.”


	13. Pony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This can be read as a follow-up to "Pirates".

“You are not my father, you are an evil alien inside of my father’s skin.”

“Stiles, it’s just a picture.”

“A picture of me at the petting zoo when I was five riding a pony.”

“Are you crying?” Derek asked, examining the photo closer, his lips twitched up in a grin.

“No,” Stiles said quickly.

“Oh he was,” the Sheriff laughed. “He would not stop crying, he thought the pony was going to eat him. It took Aria and I a good ten minutes to get him off the horse because he was too scared to move.”

“You are an evil old man,” Stiles said, snatching the photo from Derek. “And you’re the worst boyfriend ever. Conspiring against me with my father, seriously?”

Derek just shrugged. Stiles threw a pillow at him.


	14. Raxacoricofallapatorius

“If you could travel to one planet-.”

“Not Raxacoricofallapatorius.”

“Oh my God,” Stiles said. “Oh my God. Derek, you just-. Holy shit, why aren’t we friends?”

“Why don’t you focus on not letting me drown rather than why we don’t marathon _Doctor Who_ together?”

He had a point. Derek was paralyzed and there was a killer lizard circling them and they were in a swimming pool. But they had also been in there for almost two hours and he was getting bored.

“We should though,” Stiles said. “Marathon _Doctor Who_ , that is. Who’s your favorite Doctor?”

“Eleven. You?”

“Ten. Companion?”

“Rory. You?”

“Amy. Monster?”

“Daleks. You?”

“God, you’re so predictable and, uh, the Silence are pretty cool. Favorite episode?”

“‘Blink’. You?”

“‘Doomsday’.”

“Someone’s a masochist.”

“Shut up, asshole.”


	15. Cheesecake

This was a terrible idea. This was the worst idea he had ever had. And Derek had had some pretty bad ideas, he’d admit that, but this was the absolute worst.

Because he had finally asked Stiles out and Stiles had said yes and Derek had proposed going to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. If things had started going bad, he could just keep eating until it got better.

But things had gone amazingly well and Stiles was funny and a good listener and Derek was talking more than he’d ever remembered and then they had ordered dessert and…

And this was just a bad idea.

It was their first date and Stiles was already pornographically moaning every time he ate a bite of cheesecake. They were these loud and long moans and groans and Stiles’ face looked so blissed out and he was doing it on purpose, he had to have been doing it on purpose. It was giving Derek insight to what future dates might end to and he would be lying if he said he hadn’t shifted in his seat at least five times.

Finally Stiles finished his piece, a smug smile on his face as he patted the corners of his mouth with his napkin.

“So, your place or mine?”

“Mine considering you still live with your father.”

“Touché.”

Derek wasn’t exactly a traditionalist when it came to not putting out on the first date.


	16. Periwinkle

“Tell me about your dad,” Stiles said, pressing his chin on Derek’s chest and looking up at him.

It was Spring and warm and Derek was lying back in the grass, Stiles on top of him and stroking the skin of Derek’s stomach from under his t-shirt. They figured they deserved a day to be lazy after a Kanima and an Alpha pack and witches and hunters and that one fairy who had almost killed Stiles.

“Why?” Derek asked, running a hand through Stiles’ hair.

“I’ve heard about your mom and your sister,” Stiles said. “And you’ve heard about my mom and you’ve met my dad. So, tell me about him.”

Derek sighed, leaning his head back and thinking. There was a lot to say about his father, about how he always tried so desperately to gain his approval, about how he was strict, about how Derek never felt like he could tell him anything.

“I loved him,” Derek said finally.

“I figured that,” Stiles said. “You don’t have to tell me anything big. Something little, nothing major.”

“He wore a periwinkle tie to work every Friday.”

Stiles grinned at that, moving up to kiss Derek. It was just that for a while, just small open-mouthed kisses and Stiles pressing his fingertips into Derek’s skin.

“Why periwinkle?” Stiles asked once they’d parted.

“It was a Father’s Day present I gave him when I was five.”

And that made Stiles’ smile even bigger.


	17. Irrelevant

“All right, so according to the bestiary, Behemoths look nothing like they do in Final Fantasy, but that doesn’t stop them from being extremely powerful and-.”

“I love you.”

Stiles almost let his laptop fall onto the floor. He saved it just in time though, squinting at Derek who was sitting on Stiles’ bed.

“What does that have to do with Behemoths?” Stiles asked after what felt like ten minutes.

Now it was Derek squinting at him. “I just told you that I love you and you call me out on it being irrelevant?”

“I don’t have a filter.”

“I’ve noticed,” Derek said, standing up and walking toward him. “The Behemoth can wait, it’s still a town over.”

“Yeah, but it’s good to be prepared.”

“Stiles,” Derek sighed, kneeling in front of his chair and taking his face in his hands. “I love you.”

Stiles swallowed, feeling his face heat up as he looked at Derek. “I love you too, Sourwolf, now will you please stop being a giant sap and let me learn how to protect the town from a Biblical creature?”

“Of course,” Derek said, pressing his lips against his. “Or we can take advantage of your dad being on the night shift.”

Well, the Behemoth was still a town over. They had time.


	18. Banana

“Those are disgusting.”

“They’re delicious.”

“You have a warped sense of delicious.”

“You smelled one and then you glared at it, you haven’t even properly tasted one yet,” Stiles said, popping another dried banana chip into his mouth. “They’re healthy, you like healthy things.”

“I’d rather just eat a banana.”

“And I’d like to watch you eat a banana, but these things are amazing,” Stiles said, shaking the bag in front of Derek’s face.

“Stiles, I’m not going to-.”

“They’re scrumptious.”

“Stiles.”

“Decadent.”

“Stiles, this isn’t-.”

“Delectable.”

Derek grabbed one from the bag and ate it before making a face. Stiles just sighed, taking the bag back.

“Well I guess everyone has different taste buds.”


	19. Movies

He had grown up loving movies. Well, every kid probably did, but he always liked to think that his love was a little stronger, a little more unique. He would drag his mom and his dad or just whoever would take him to see whatever movie the critics couldn’t shut up about. He stayed up way past his bedtime watching every award show and camped out in front of the TV all day for the Oscars.

So, when it came time for him to decide what he was going to do for the rest of his life, it was an easy choice. Stiles Stilinski was going to be a director and everyone around him encouraged him.

Except that right now he wasn’t encouraging himself at all. He was working on his final, a live-action short film based on an event in his life, and it was freezing and raining and his actors were getting worse after every take.

He yelled cut when he just couldn’t take it anymore, bringing his hoody tighter around himself as he practically curled up into his chair. God, this was so stupid. Nothing was working out and maybe just because he loved movies didn’t mean he should-.

“Here.”

Stiles looked up, seeing Derek standing next to his chair and offering him a cup of coffee. He took it and nodded in thanks before turning away. Derek was a grad student and a film editor, already having edited a few feature films. Stiles’ dad was friends with his parents and had asked Derek to help Stiles with his film, much to his chagrin.

There was no way Derek wanted to help out on a stupid student film, but he had done a great job of pretending like he cared about the project. Maybe he should have asked Derek to be his leading actor instead.

“It gets easier,” Derek said and Stiles thought he had already walked away by now. “You just have to remember why you’re doing it, what you want to become.”

Stiles looked up at Derek, squinting at him through the rain. Derek just looked at his watch and then tapped the face of it.

“Break’s up,” he said. “Your call, Spielberg.”


	20. Lube

“Why are there so many types?”

“People like different things, I guess.”

“Yeah, but there doesn’t need to be this many. I just want the kind that makes sure you don’t rip me open on that giant dick of yours.”

Apparently this was the wrong thing to say because an older woman in the aisle over practically snapped her head around, glaring at them. Stiles didn’t let it get to him though, picking up random bottles and reading the labels.

“Stiles, just pick one. We’re going to be in here all day if you don’t.”

“Well just as long as we’re not in here all night.”

Stiles’ voice was ridiculously suggestive as he winked at Derek, leaning against the shelf and knocking several bottles to the floor.

“You’re an idiot.”

“You wouldn’t want me if I weren’t.”

“I hate that that’s true.”


	21. Fool

“Fool me once, shame on you,” Stiles said. “Fool me twice, shame on you again, you asshole.”

Derek just turned his head, expecting to see Stiles angrily glaring at him. All he saw instead was Stiles angrily playing his PSP.

It was the middle of the night and they were in bed and it was warm and Derek was beyond tired and Stiles was playing his PSP and talking to it. Or he was talking to whatever creature or person or whatever he was fighting on it.

Derek didn’t know how video games worked.

“Stiles,” Derek groaned, throwing an arm over Stiles’ stomach. “Turn it off and sleep.”

“I’m almost done with this boss fight.”

“I don’t care.”

“C’mon, Der, it’ll take two seconds,” Stiles said. “I’ve almost got him.”

A few more seconds of Stiles playing passed before his mouth fell open and he glared at the screen. “I can’t believe I fell for that again.”

“Fool you once, you’re an idiot and your boyfriend has to wake up early in the morning so turning the fuckin’ thing off.”

“I have to get to a save point first.”

Derek brought the blanket over his head and groaned.


	22. Serendipity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This lovely lady](http://sammymc.tumblr.com) has written an extended version of this drabble, so you should all totally [check it out](http://archiveofourown.org/works/732960)! :))

There was something wrong. Something seriously wrong. Good things didn’t happen this often to him and this out of the blue.

He had found a $20 bill on the sidewalk. The restaurant he had dinner with his dad at gave him free dessert. His Jeep had managed to make it to the gas station even though it was practically on empty. He got an A on his Chemistry test.

And Derek was kissing him.

Derek Hale was kissing him and holding him close and holy shit, he was just standing there frozen he should really do something.

So he did, bringing his arms around the older man and kissing him back as best as he knew how. He wasn’t even entirely sure how it happened, one second they were just talking and the next Derek was kissing him like the world was about to end.

“Well that was a surprise,” Stiles mumbled against Derek’s lips once they had parted.

“Hopefully a good one,” Derek said, smiling and Stiles could seriously look at his smile forever.

“Definitely a good one.”


	23. Green Tea

“Why do people drink this?” Stiles asked, frowning at the cup in front of him.

“It has a lot of benefits,” Allison said. “It can fight cancer and heart disease, it helps with cholesterol and-.”

“Okay, I get the point,” Stiles said, taking another sip before scrunching his nose up.

It wasn’t bad, but he probably wouldn’t even finish his cup.

“So, why did you ask me to come here today, Ms. Argent?”

“Scott is going to propose, isn’t he?”

Stiles then did his best to act confused and try to salvage his Best Man status.

“Don’t lie to me, Stiles,” she said. “Blink once for yes and twice for no.”

He blinked three times.

“Stiles, if you were asking me about Derek, I’d tell you.”

“Yeah, but Derek wouldn’t propose to me, he’s probably anti-marriage.”

“Still, it’s good to help friends out and Scott knows that I hate surprises.”

She had a point and suddenly Stiles felt like he needed to escape to the bathroom to call Scott and tell him to call off the surprise hot air balloon ride he was planning on proposing in.

He blinked once.

Allison smiled into her cup of green tea. “Thanks, Stiles.”


	24. Sunflowers

“Aren’t these pretty, Stiles?” Aria asked, pointing toward the bleeding hearts. “They’re my favorites.”

“Don’t we have a bunch in the backyard?” Stiles asked, crouching down next to her.

“Yeah, I bugged your father about planting them for weeks until he finally did,” she said. “He was out there for hours in the middle of the summer.”

“That must have been hard.”

“Must have been,” Aria said. “I was too busy in the air conditioned house to pay too much attention.”

Stiles laughed at that, looking around the greenhouse that the Hale family had in their backyard. He came with his mom every Sunday to look at the flowers and have lunch with the huge family. His mom would talk with Talia and Stiles would talk to Derek.

And he definitely meant "talk to" instead of "talk with".

Derek was always in the greenhouse in the back corner with the sunflowers, reading a book or working on homework since he was in high school and had a lot.

Today he found Derek in the same spot, reading a book with his eyebrows furrowed together. Stiles plopped down next to him, looking at the words on the pages and then up at Derek.

“Hi,” Stiles said.

“Hey,” Derek greeted, flipping a page.

“What are you reading?”

“ _The Hobbit_.”

“Is it good?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s it about?”

“A hobbit going on an adventure with 13 dwarves and a wizard.”

“You should read it out loud.”

Derek looked down at him, perking an eyebrow before shrugging and going back to the first page. “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”


	25. Easter

It had just been an idea at first, a suggestion really. They had been at the store and Easter candy was already out and the Cadbury creme eggs were right in front of him and he might have taken ten.

Maybe.

That might have happened.

Derek of course had given him a judgmental look (Mr. Health Food did not approve of chocolate or anything fun apparently) but hadn’t said anything. Stiles honestly expected Derek to steal at least one of the eggs. They were one of the best parts of Easter along with Peeps s’mores and dying eggs. 

His collection of Cadbury eggs remained completely untouched until it was Easter morning though and Derek was licking the remains of the creme off of his chest and he was trying really hard not to let his dad hear him and yeah, this was definitely the best use of Cadbury eggs ever.

“Fuck, Derek,” Stiles groaned as Derek tugged on one of his nipples.

He was sticky from chocolate and spit and creme and sweat and there was definitely some pre-cum somewhere on him. And it was Easter Sunday and he was supposed to leave to go to church with his dad in 20 minutes but fuck if he cared.

Derek was nipping at his hipbones and deliberately ignoring his boner (such an asshole) before moving up to kiss Stiles. He groaned into Derek’s mouth, hiking a leg up onto Derek’s back and rutting up against him.

The older man tasted like chocolate and he was hard and-.

“Stiles! I don’t hear the shower running!” his dad yelled from downstairs. “We’re meeting your grandma early.”

Stiles let out a disappointed groan, tilting his head back just so Derek could press kisses on his neck.

“You have to get ready,” Derek said.

“I know.”

“Your shower has room for two, right?”

“You’re a fuckin’ genius, I knew I loved you for a reason.”


	26. Carving

“Okay, no laughing.”

“I promise I won’t.”

Except that Derek was definitely going to laugh. Today was their one year anniversary (and they wouldn’t even be celebrating it if Lydia hadn’t guilt-tripped them into doing so) and the gift exchange was starting.

Stiles was going first and he was beyond nervous to see if Derek would even like what he got him.

Well, made him. In wood shop. He was broke and in high school, his options were limited.

Derek opened up the small box and took out the wooden wolf carving Stiles had made. He just looked at it, unblinkingly, and Stiles was beginning to think that he hated it.

“You made this?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Stiles shrugged. “It’s no big deal. It didn’t take me a long time or anything.”

Except that was a huge lie. It had taken him weeks and his poor hands had never seen that many splinters. Derek probably knew that he was lying but he didn’t bring it up, now smiling at the carving.

“Thank you,” he said, kissing Stiles’ temple. “And this is for you.”

Stiles took the small box from Derek and opened it, peering inside to see… “A key.”

“Yeah.”

“To your apartment?”

Derek nodded and Stiles felt himself smile before he threw his arms around Derek’s neck and kissed him.


	27. Hot

“Jesus fuck.”

“Stiles.”

“Jesus fuck on a cracker.”

“ _Stiles_.”

“Jesus fuck on a cracker with cheese and-.”

“ _Stiles_!” Scott said, raising his voice and hitting Stiles on the back of the head.

“What?” Stiles asked. “It’s hot and I wanna cuss about it.”

“Yeah but if your mom or my mom or your dad or Mrs. Parkinson from down the street hear you you’re gonna get in trouble.”

“Mrs. Parkinson is so creepy.”

“Is that seriously all you got from that?”

“I just got diagnosed with ADHD three weeks ago, Scott, you can’t expect miracles to happen too quickly.”

It was the summer before the sixth grade and it was hot outside and Scott and Stiles had set Lydia Martin’s old Barbie dolls on fire because she had made fun of Stiles and Stiles’ mom had caught them and, well, now they were forced to sell lemonade.

Like an actual lemonade stand.

Like in an after school special.

And the lemonade was free so they wouldn’t even be making any money.

Worst summer ever.

Especially since the high school lacrosse team came by every afternoon after summer practice to harass them and knock the stand over.

Today was no exception.

“Here they come,” Scott said softly, taking a breath from his inhaler and scooting away from the stand.

The group of high school guys came walking down the street, talking and laughing and pushing each other. They caught sight of them and nodded to each other before rushing toward the table, making it turn into the middle of the street. There were a few laughs and jokes and teases before they all continued on their way.

“I hate them,” Stiles said, standing up and going to the table. “They’re such assholes.”

“Agreed,” Scott said.

“Yeah.”

And that was a voice neither of them knew. Stiles looked up to see another high school lacrosse player with dark hair and green eyes and ridiculous eyebrows. He grabbed the table and set it upright before awkwardly looking at Scott and Stiles.

“Uh, thanks,” Stiles said.

“Sure,” the guy said. “I’ll talk to them and make sure they leave you alone next time.”

And then he was gone, hiking a duffel bag up on his shoulder and heading into the woods on the opposite side of the street.


	28. Sweet

“You don’t like it,” Allison sighed, biting her lip in disappointment.

“No, it’s great,” Stiles nodded enthusiastically. “Really really, okay, it’s way too sweet.”

“Stiles, something can’t be too sweet.”

“I thought that was true too, but nope, definitely too sweet.”

Allison frowned, stabbing her fork into the cake and eating a small bite. She chewed contemplatively and then looked up at him and shrugged. “I think it’s fine.”

“Wait for the aftertaste.”

“The after- oh God.”

“Yeah.”

“That is just-,” she said, scrunching up her face and then violently marking off the triple chocolate strawberry mousse cake from her clipboard. “Too sweet, you’re right.”

“I’m your brother, I’m always right,” Stiles said, shoving the plate of cake to the side. “And shouldn’t Jackson be the one helping with this? He is the one you’re marrying.”

“He’s busy with work,” Allison said, waving a hand in the air. “I’m not going to ask him to take a day off for cake tasting.”

“Still, he should be here,” Stiles said. “I’ll go ask Derek for some more samples.”

“Okay,” she said, watching Stiles disappear into the kitchen.

And that was the moment that Derek’s younger brother, Scott, came back into the room, smiling widely (and kind of adorably) at her and sitting down.

“So, you like any?”

“Um, yeah,” she said, skimming down her clipboard. “The white chocolate and raspberry is great and I love the almond and coconut. Stiles thinks I need to try a thousand though before I’ve found The One.”

“It’s probably Derek rubbing off on him,” Scott said, rolling his eyes. “You do not want to know what I walked in on last week in the kitchen.”

“Oh God, please spare me the details.”

“It involved frosting in places where there should never be frosting.”


	29. Rumpled

“He’s gonna know.”

“He’s not gonna know.”

“He’s gonna take one look at my bed and the rumpled sheets and know.”

“Stiles, he’s not gonna know.”

This was apparently the wrong thing to say though because Stiles just glared at him.

“Derek, my dad is going to see my rumpled t-shirt and my rumpled hair and he’ll _know_.”

“You really like using the word ‘rumpled’,” Derek said, unable to stop the small smile on his face.

“Shut up, I’m having a one-fifth life crisis.”

Derek just chuckled, shaking his head and bringing Stiles into his arms. “Change your shirt, comb your hair, and I’ll make your bed. He’s not coming home for another hour, he won’t know.”

“He’s gonna figure it out.”

“Stiles are you freaking out because your dad is going to figure out you had sex or because you lost your virginity?”

That got him another glare and a poke in the chest before Stiles went to his dresser, grabbing a clean t-shirt and continuing to glare at Derek before heading into the bathroom.

“Why are you changing in there?” Derek asked. “I saw everything last night.”

“Shut up, Hale!”


	30. Arrow

He could hear Scott going after the hunters. He could also hear Allison talking to the 911 dispatcher on her cell phone. Isaac was somewhere nearby, shuffling around nervously. He didn’t know where everyone else was.

Well, that wasn’t true. Because Derek was right with him, holding his hand (which was hilarious because Derek hated PDA), and telling him how stupid he was.

And it hadn’t been stupid.

Because the arrow was laced with wolf’s bane and Stiles was better off getting hit with it than Derek or Scott or Isaac or Boyd was.

“It’s gonna be okay,” he manage to choke out, his words sounding sluggish even to him.

“Don’t talk you idiot,” Derek said and if Stiles’ vision wasn’t so blurry he’d probably be able to see the little crinkle between Derek’s eyebrows. He always rubbed that little crinkle away too, always kissed Derek’s shoulder and told him to stop worrying.

And oh God, what if he did die? What if he left Derek alone to worry and be even lonelier than before? He didn’t want that- he couldn’t-.

Allison was crying and he could hear Scott whispering to her and he was seriously dying. This was it- this was the end of Stiles Stilinski and…

And he woke up in the hospital, the pack lounging on his bed and in hospital chairs. Lydia was reading a magazine, Boyd and Isaac were playing Uno, Scott and Allison were cuddling, and Derek was talking with his dad.

Derek was talking with his dad.

Yeah, he was going to pretend to be asleep for a little bit longer.


	31. Porn

“You don’t know what you saw.”

“No, I’m pretty sure that was-.”

“You don’t know what you saw.”

“You’re not a Jedi, Stiles.”

“What you think you saw wasn’t really what you saw and-.”

“Stiles, I don’t care.”

“What?”

“I don’t care that you watch gay porn.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Every guy goes through the experimentation stage.”

“I did.”

“Exact- Wait, you did?”

“Yeah.”

“And what was the end result of that?”

“Why don’t you close your laptop and find out?”

“Wha- Oh. Oh fuck yes.”


	32. Curiosity

“Don’t go near him, Derek,” Laura said, placing a hand on Derek’s shoulder to keep him back.

“But he’s lost.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “He’s human and he isn’t pack.”

“He’s crying.”

“Still doesn’t matter.”

This didn’t stop Derek from stepping forward though. Laura huffed behind him and he heard her tell him that she was going to tell on him before it was just him and the crying boy in the forest.

“What’s your name?” Derek asked, kneeling in front of the boy.

“St-Stiles,” the boy stuttered.

“Why are you out here all alone?”

“I lost my mommy.”

Judging by the waves of grief coming from the boy and the smell of week-old tears and sadness, it was clear that the boy hadn’t just lost her in the woods. Derek wrapped an arm around Stiles’ shoulders who looked up at him.

A tree branch snapped in the distance and Derek went on alert, sitting up straight, his eyes flashing blue.

There was a gasp from Stiles and he reprimanded himself for doing something stupid like changing his eyes in front of him. But Stiles wasn’t scared, if anything he looked curious.

“Can you do that again?”


	33. Muffins

“You’re getting crumbs everywhere.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Stiles.”

“They’ll eventually migrate under the mats and- and you’re really upset about this.”

They were sitting in a traffic jam and Stiles was eating a muffin in Derek’s Camaro and Derek had that little wrinkle of frustration between his eyebrows.

It was kind of adorable.

“I’ll use my lap to catch them all.”

“But when you get out of the car they’ll fall everywhere.”

Stiles would have called him uptight (it was right on the tip of his tongue), but he knew he would have been the same if they were in his Jeep.

“Fine,” Stiles sighed, looking mournfully at the remaining half of his muffin. “I guess I’ll just have to save it for later. But who even knows how far away that will be. We’ve been stuck in traffic for almost an hour. By the time I get out of this car my muffin will be all stale and even more crumbly and-.”

“Just shut up and eat your muffin.”

“Yes sir.”


	34. Mustard

He didn’t know why he had thought this would be a good idea. Well, the entire trip had seemed like a good idea. Stiles wanted to see New York and it was his last summer before starting college hours away from Beacon Hills and Derek happened to know his way around the city and Stiles was 18 now so the Sheriff couldn’t exactly say no.

And things had been great for the first few days. They saw a Broadway show (with Stiles laughing loudly at every single joke) and made out at the top of the Empire State Building and spent an entire day in their cramped hotel room having endless sex with the sounds of the city around them.

Now they were eating hot dogs in Central Park and it had originally started off with Stiles trying to eat it as seductively as possible (which Derek should have seen as a lost cause from the start) and ended with Stiles having his cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk with mustard all over his chin.

“I don’t know why I’m so attracted to you,” Derek sighed, wiping the mustard off of Stiles’ chin with his thumb.

Stiles looked like he was about to reply but as soon as he tried to form words they all came out jumbled due to the amount of food crammed into his mouth.

“Sorry, what was that?” Derek asked.

That got him a glare and after Stiles furiously chewed his food and swallowed, he tried to talk again, only to have Derek kiss him (while desperately trying to ignore the taste of mustard and relish and onions and the 15 other toppings Stiles had gotten).


	35. Bees

“Derek, sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

He didn’t know.

Which he hated because he liked knowing what was wrong.

Because the four of them were going on a walk through the preserve. Laura and their dad were up ahead and Derek had stayed behind with his mom, her arm wrapped around his shoulders as they walked.

“I don’t know,” he finally said, looking at her before looking around the forest. “I just- I thought I might have heard-.”

And then he did hear it. It was a broken little noise, sounding almost like a cry, and Derek parted from his mother, walking toward a thicket of trees. He walked for a few minutes, vaguely aware of his mother walking behind him, when he came across the sound of buzzing and crying.

On the forest floor was a little boy, probably just six or seven, with fat tears rolling down his cheeks while he clutched his hand. A beehive had fallen out of a tree and Derek could only assume that one of the bees had stung the boy.

“Hey,” Derek said, crouching down next to him. “You okay?”

“Talia, I didn’t think he could hear this far away yet,” Derek heard his father say. “Not unless he’s focusing, do you think this boy’s-.”

“I don’t know,” his mother cut in before addressing Derek. “Honey, why don’t you ask your friend what his name is?”

Derek nodded, knowing his mom would see, before taking the boy’s hand in his. “What’s your name?”

“Stiles.”

“Hi, Stiles,” he said. “I’m Derek. Did a bee sting you?”

“Mmhm,” Stiles hummed, nodding.

“Where’s your mom and dad?” Derek asked.

Stiles’ face turned red and he shrugged. Apparently someone had decided to sneak out of the house.

“You want to come back to my house and I can call your parents?”

“I’m not supposed to go into strangers’ houses.”

“I told you my name, that doesn’t make me a stranger.”

“Yes it does.”

“You should still come with me though.”

“I bet that’s what you say to all of the crying kids you find before you take them back to your house and eat them.”

“I don’t eat kids.”

“How would I know?”

“Because that’s stupid.”

“Oh, so now I’m stupid?”

“I never said that.”

“You might as well have, buddy.”

“You just called me ‘buddy’.”

“I did.”

“Are you buddies with every stranger you meet?”

Stiles glared at him at that, tears still staining his cheeks, but no longer streaming from his eyes.

“Oh you’re good,” he said.

“Thanks,” Derek said, smirking. “So, do you want help or not?”

“Well I guess I could come with you,” Stiles said. “But if anything shady starts going down, I’m outta there.”

And Derek wasn’t even going to try to argue with that.


	36. Hostel

“So, you come here often?” Stiles asked, a slow smile teasing on his lips as he spread a hand across Derek’s bare chest.

“You’re an idiot,” Derek said, rolling his eyes and continuing to stroke his hand down Stiles’ back.

Stiles smiled at that, pressing their mouths together and enjoying the way Derek just opened his mouth against his. It was funny, he never thought he’d ever manage to score sex with Derek, much less in the hostel they were staying in where anyone could walk in.

It had just started with them being travel buddies, Stiles taking a year off before college and Derek traveling because he needed to “find himself”. And after bumping into each other at more than one European landmark, they finally decided to start traveling together.

That meant sharing hotel rooms and apparently hostels when all the hotels were booked. They were sharing the room with an all-girls high school tour group and Stiles could only imagine what the reaction would be if they walked in on them.

At least now they were in the afterglow instead of during because Stiles had been making some embarrassing noises before.

“So, where to next?” Stiles asked once they had finally parted.

“Greece?” Derek proposed. “I promised my sister I’d get her a souvenir.”

“I didn’t know you had a sister.”

“You don’t know a lot about me,” Derek shrugged.

“Can’t wait to find out more,” Stiles said right before Derek kissed him again.


	37. Fond

At first it had been really weird, but now he was kind of used to it.

Kind of.

Sort of.

Okay, not really, he was just kind of too freaked out to accept the truth.

Because apparently he was in a magic induced coma and Derek Hale’s mother was keeping him company. He should really try getting used to having such a weird life.

“Don’t worry, Derek will find a way to wake you up,” Talia (he had tried ‘Mrs. Hale’ and that hadn’t gone over too well) assured, patting her hand on Stiles’ shoulder.

“He better,” Stiles said. “Because if I die I’m definitely going to haunt his werewolf ass.”

Talia laughed at that, which was weird because she looked a lot like Derek (or he guessed it’d be more accurate to say that Derek looked a lot like her) and Derek laughing was such a foreign concept.

“That won’t be necessary,” she said. “He’ll wake you up.”

“I think my money’s on Scott for this one,” Stiles said. “Or Lydia. Or Deaton. Or not Derek.”

“Oh, Stiles,” Talia sighed. “Derek’s going to be the one.”

“Uh-huh, sure.”

“I’ve seen the way he looks at you,” she mused. “He’s never looked at anyone with that much fondness before.”

Stiles’ eyebrows shot up at that. “Derek looking at me with _fondness_? Yeah, right.”

“Love is blind,” Talia said sagely.

“ _Love_?” Stiles repeated. “No. Derek’s not-. We’re not-. I mean, despite what I want, Derek would never…”

He trailed off then, opting to just gape at Talia who gave a little shrug. “Just wait until you wake up.”

They made a bet which was kind of useless since Stiles doubted he would ever see Talia again, but he was a betting man.

When he woke up the first thing he saw were green eyes and the first thing he felt were strong hands cupping his face.

“Stiles,” Derek sighed, relief pouring through his voice. “I thought you’d never wake up.”

“Yeah, well I’m awake now,” Stiles said, sitting up and looking at Derek who was, yep, okay, he could admit that Derek was looking at him fondly. “I owe your mom five bucks.”

“What?” Derek asked, eyebrow knitting together in confusion.

“I’ll tell you later,” Stiles said before leaning forward, wrapping his arms around Derek’s neck and burrowing his face into his shoulder.


	38. Concerts

“When is this over?” Scott asked in what he probably thought was a hushed tone.

“Check your program,” Stiles said in an equally not very hushed tone.

Derek’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Stiles squeezed his hand in apology.

It had been Boyd’s idea to come, having suggested it to Derek after school on Thursday. No one knew that Isaac was in the All-State Choir and that the first concert was on Saturday. Derek had thought that he had a girlfriend he wanted to keep away from the pack, but somehow choir rehearsal made more sense.

So, here they were in an auditorium wearing suits and dresses and listening to classical music for three hours until the all boys choir took the stage. Derek was sitting between Boyd and Stiles, Lydia next to Boyd since they were the only two who were even interested. Scott was sitting on Stiles’ other side and Allison was next to him, sleeping quietly on his shoulder.

The mixed choir left the stage and there was a five minute break before the boys came out. Stiles gave out a heavy sigh, resting his chin on Derek’s shoulder.

“This is a great way to spend our Saturday night,” he sighed.

“We’re here to support Isaac,” Derek said, bringing Stiles’ hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles. “And I’m not going to complain since this managed to get you into a suit.”

“I could say the same for you, I suppose.”

Their lips had been pressed together for all of two seconds before Scott scoffed next to them.

“You two are disgusting.”

They turned to look at him and Derek couldn’t find it in himself to say anything back since Scott was petting Allison’s hair as she made sleepy noises into his shoulder. Because really, that said it all.

“You all need to shut up,” Lydia hissed from Derek’s other side. “Isaac’s about to come on.”

After that they were quiet and the boys were just filing onto the stage when Stiles nudged him, pointing to the program when he had Derek’s attention. Apparently Isaac had a solo in three of the songs and Derek knew that he was mirroring Stiles’ proud smile at that.


	39. Notebook

“Stiles.”

He really shouldn’t have enjoyed watching Stiles let out a startled shout before falling to the floor as much as he did. There was just something about reducing that snarky little twerp into a pile of surprised limbs that just sent so much satisfaction through Derek.

“How did you- Window, right, window,” Stiles said. “But why are you- You know what? I don’t wanna know, you should go.”

“No.”

“This is my room.”

“That’s why I’m here.”

“That doesn’t really tell me anything.”

“I want to talk to you.”

“Well, okay, I got that.”

“ _His green eyes give nothing away,_  
 _not even when they flash to red._  
 _I don’t know why they haunt me so much._  
 _And for some reason I’m content to never know._  
 _When the lights go down, dim the room and_ -.”

“That is private!” Stiles shouted, grabbing the notebook from Derek’s hand and bringing it to his chest. “You- You can’t just go looking through-.”

“Stiles, I’d never go looking through your things,” Derek said. “That was on my bed. I assumed you’d-.”

“I’m gonna kill Lydia,” Stiles groaned, sitting on the edge of his bed. “That’s the last time I share anything with her.”

“You write poems,” Derek said dumbly.

“Yeah.”

“About me?” he made it sound like a question, just in case it wasn’t true.

“There’s some that aren’t.”

And there were. There were poems about a mother with soft brown hair and amber eyes and Derek had skipped over those, knowing that it wasn’t really his place.

“You’re a really good muse,” Stiles shrugged, finally looking up at Derek, his cheeks a light pink and his heart thrumming in his chest.

“Thank you,” Derek said, not really sure what else to say. “They’re good poems.”

“They’re shit.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Yeah, that’s because they’re about you, jackass,” Stiles said. “Of course you’re not going to say a poem about you is bad.”

“Poems,” Derek corrected. “There’s more than one.”

Stiles kicked him in the shin and then forced Derek to give him a foot rub since he was the one to actually feel any pain from it.


	40. Tissues

It had been four days.

He still hadn’t gone to the doctor’s office.

He would on the fifth.

Maybe.

Possibly.

It all depended on whether or not he could get out of bed to do it.

At least Derek was with him today, that was nice.

“You want more soup?” Derek asked.

“No,” Stiles said. “Tissues.”

Derek handed him the box of Kleenex and Stiles took a handful of tissues before blowing his nose into the wad.

It was flu season and after years of avoiding it, Stiles was sick. Having his werewolf boyfriend act as a personal space heater and soup maker was great though.

“I hate being sick,” Stiles groaned, leaning back against Derek’s (broad, strong, unfortunately clothed) chest before grabbing more tissues.

“It does seem kind of miserable,” Derek noted.

Stupid werewolf boyfriend and his incapability of getting sick. Even though he had looked pretty bad when he had gotten shot by a wolf’s bane bullet, but Stiles chose to ignore that.


	41. Allergies

“It’s not that bad,” Scott said and his tone of voice was doing nothing to make Stiles feel better.

“Yeah,” Allison agreed. “It’s a very… mild case.”

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Isaac chimed in.

“It looks like a swarm of bees stung your face,” Lydia said.

Well at least she was honest.

And Stiles would have had some snappy retort except that he couldn’t talk. Even if he could form words he feared that they would only end up sounding clogged up and mumbled and he really didn’t want that.

Apparently after ten years he was still allergic to blueberries which, y’know, was awesome.

The only one who had kept quiet through the whole ordeal was Derek (and Boyd, but Boyd was never much of a talker anyway) who was sitting at the kitchen table with a pensive expression. Stiles raised his eyebrows at him and Derek shrugged, standing up and placing his hands on the kitchen table.

“We should take Stiles to the hospital.”

The Alpha had spoken and apparently that was what they had been waiting for because soon Scott and Allison were herding him toward the front door.

He really needed new friends.


	42. Bubblegum

“ _Stiles_.”

“What?”

“Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“I really don’t think it’s that hard to figure out.”

“I think it is because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

This had been going on for the past hour and Derek was really getting sick of it. They had known each other for years and Derek had confided in Stiles when he had continued working for his degree at the college just outside of Beacon Hills and Stiles had encouraged him and now Derek was studying for his finals and _Stiles wouldn’t stop popping his gum_.

It alternating between smacking it and making tiny bubbles before popping them between his teeth and then making the biggest bubbles he possibly could before deflating them and bringing the gum back into his mouth and sometimes he stretched the gum out on his finger and wrapped it around and- and Derek was just done.

“Please stop,” Derek said as Stiles started to blow another huge bubble.

Stiles just shook his head, continuing to blow it until Derek grabbed his pen and popped it, watching the bubble practically explode, pink gum covering most of Stiles’ face.

“Thanks,” Derek said, smirking before going back to his textbook.


	43. Rain

“This is not happening.”

“What?”

“No, not like this.”

“Stiles, what are you-?”

“Our first kiss is not going to be _The Notebook_ style.”

Derek blinked at him. Just blinked, once, very prominently.

“I don’t know what that means,” Derek said.

“It’s raining.”

“I know.”

“You were about to kiss me.”

“Are you objecting?”

“No,” Stiles said quickly. “Well, not to the kissing but to the rain.”

“I don’t really like rain either, but we can’t really do anything about it.”

“You’re completely missing the point here.”

“Then why don’t you explain it to me?”

“I don’t want our first kiss to be some stupidly cheesy in the rain kiss.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“So you’ve told me.”

Derek kissed him anyway.


	44. Thighs

There was blood everywhere and Derek was still healing, but that didn’t even matter. It didn’t matter because they were alive and Derek would be healed in a few minutes and fuck, they _needed_ this.

Derek was sitting on the forest floor, back pressed against a tree and stomach slowly knitting itself back together. His thighs had slits and gashes all across them, but they were healing. Stiles was in his lap and he was (thankfully) unharmed except for a few cuts and bruises.

He had tried to join in the fight, but Derek had made Allison keep him back, away in the trees while she took down enemies one-by-one with her bow and arrow. Stiles had of course put up a fight, but Derek couldn’t allow Stiles to be on the front line, wouldn’t let Stiles put himself in that kind of danger.

It was over now and it wasn’t the best time for this (it was probably never the right time for sex in the woods), but they did need it. Stiles had carried around lube in his pocket (“You never know when your stupidly possessive boyfriend’s going to want to bend you over the closest surface to-.” “I don’t need to hear this, Stiles.” “Oh man up, Scott.”) and it had been absolute torture watching Stiles hurriedly prepare himself.

After just two fingers Stiles had given an indignant noise before slicking up Derek’s cock and lowering himself onto it. Stiles had winced, fingers digging into Derek’s shoulders as Derek dug his fingers into Stiles’ thighs.

“You didn’t prepare enough,” Derek groaned, finding it difficult to muster up those words since Stiles was so hot and wet and tight and perfect as always around him.

“S’okay,” Stiles slurred, pressing their foreheads together as he lifted himself up before lowering himself down in one sharp movement. “I kinda like the burn.”


	45. Sweatshirt

“What are you wearing?”

Stiles didn’t appreciate the accusatory tone or the way Scott had slowed down the words, like Stiles wouldn’t be able to fully comprehend what Scott was asking.

“Uh, a sweatshirt,” Stiles said, slowing down his words as well before shrugging.

“It smells like Derek.”

“That’s because it was Derek’s.”

“‘Was’?”

“Yeah, he had some old clothes that were too small for him and I took the sweatshirt,” Stiles shrugged. “It’s comfy.”

“But it smells like Derek.”

“Well, I would assume so.”

“No, it _smells_ like Derek,” Scott said. “Like he purposely kept it in his bed and snuggled with it for a week before giving it to you.”

Stiles froze at that before glaring down at the sweatshirt. “Goddammit, Hale. I’m going to need to have a discussion with him about marking his territory.”

“‘Marking his’-,” Scott started. “Wait, he didn’t pee on you, did he?”

“What? No!” Stiles said. “At least I don’t think he-. Oh God, my boyfriend’s a nut job.”

“Yeah,” Scott nodded. “Wait, boyfri-?”

“Gotta go, Scott,” Stiles said before slapping Scott on the shoulder and then hurriedly making his way out of the room.


	46. Animal Shelter

“Stop staring, Stiles.”

“I can’t.”

“Pretty sure you can.”

“Pretty sure I can’t, Scott.”

“He looks like he could kill us.”

“With those muscles? Definitely.”

“I’m a little alarmed that you didn’t sound scared when you said that.”

Stiles just rolled his eyes, continuing to halfheartedly pet the cat lying next to him. They were volunteering at the local animal shelter to put something nice on their college applications and this of course translated into sitting in the cat room to pet them for two hours before heading home.

That had been the plan before Stiles met (i.e. gazed at from afar) the super hot dog trainer who came in on occasion.

“You think he’s into guys?”

“Maybe?” Scott said. “I doubt he’d go after a 17 year-old though.”

“I turn 18 in April.”

“It’s November.”

“Minor details, Scott,” Stiles shrugged, scratching Astrid behind the ears who was now purring. “He’s a dog person though. We should hang out with the dogs more.”

“We’re only trained to look after the cats and the puppies.”

“I’m pretty sure we can handle adult dogs.”

“Okay, next week you can do that while I play with puppies like I’m supposed to.”

“Have fun cleaning their cages.”

“Have fun embarrassing yourself by trying to flirt.”


	47. Puppy

Derek glared at the little Bernese Mountain puppy in Stiles’ arms. And he wasn’t jealous because that would be ridiculous.

Extremely ridiculous.

Especially since the puppy was licking Stiles’ neck.

Who would ever want to do that?

“Cute, right?” Stiles asked, cuddling the puppy closer to him.

“Sure.”

“‘Sure’?” Stiles repeated. “C’mon, she’s adorable.”

 _She_.

“She’s all right.”

Stiles gave him a look at that. Derek didn’t really have a name for it other than the “You’re Acting Weird and I’m Going to Find Out Why” Look.

And then realization dawned on his face.

“Is somebody jealous?” Stiles asked, his voice sounding like he was talking to a puppy.

“No,” Derek said gruffly, still glaring at the puppy in Stiles’ arms.

“Really?” Stiles continued. “Because it sounds like somebody’s feeling a little neglected.”

“I’m not feeling neglected.”

“Sounds like you are.”

“Well I’m not.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

The puppy barked then, continuing to lap away at Stiles’ neck who just continued to laugh.

“She knows what she’s doing.”

“Oh God, Derek, seriously?” Stiles asked. “She’s a puppy.”

“She’s marking her territory.”

Stiles gave the most exaggerated eye roll Derek had ever seen. “And you can remark your territory on me tonight, okay?”

The corners of his mouth tugged up and Derek nodded. “Okay.”

The puppy slept between them and would start whimpering whenever Derek tried to put her on the floor. He woke up to find her curled up on Stiles’ chest.

Apparently this was war.


	48. Star Trek

“My parents met at a _Star Trek_ convention.”

“What?” Stiles asked, looking across the dark room at Derek who was still huddled in the corner.

“You told me so much about your past, I thought it would be fair to tell you some of mine,” Derek shrugged.

“Oh, okay,” Stiles said, still trying to catch up with what Derek was doing. “ _Star Trek_ , that’s cool. My dad used to watch it all the time, my mom was way too confused by it.”

“You ever watch it?”

“Of course,” Stiles said. “After I saw the remake I made it my mission to watch everything with the original cast.”

“It was a family thing,” Derek said. “We’d all watch it together every Friday. Eventually Laura started going to parties though and I would start sneaking out to meet… someone.”

“It’s still something nice that you and your family did.”

“Yeah,” Derek nodded before tilting his head back against the wall. “How long’s it been since one of them came?”

“Almost three hours,” Stiles said, looking at his watch. “They’re coming for me next.”

Derek tensed up, placing his face in his hands and exhaling shakily. And Stiles wanted nothing more than to walk across the room and put an arm around his shoulders and tell him that it would be fine, but he couldn’t. Because they weren’t even friends and he didn’t even know that he would be fine.

“Don’t worry too much,” Stiles said, trying to sound lighthearted even though being captured and tortured for information that they didn’t even have was extremely far from lighthearted. “I’m not wearing my red hoody today, I’ll be fine.”


	49. Lie

“I just don’t get it,” Stiles said, running a hand through his hair. “Why would he say that?”

“I don’t know, man,” Scott shrugged. “Maybe he was scared.”

“No, you are not defending Derek,” Stiles said. “You’ve never defended him before, so you’re not defending him now when I need someone on my side.”

Scott groaned, tilting his head back against the headrest and kicking at Stiles’ leg. “Dude, you need to shut up about me and Allison and our problems if you’re going to act like this with your own.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means that Derek probably lied and said that he didn’t love you because he was scared that you didn’t feel the same way.”

“So he does love me?”

“Yes.”

“But how do you know?”

“Because he told me, dumb ass,” Scott said, grabbing a pillow from Stiles’ bed and throwing it at him. “Now call your boyfriend so I can call Allison and apologize for canceling our date because you were having a stupid crisis.”

Well, Stiles wouldn’t call the crisis _stupid_.


	50. Martyr

“I cannot believe you,” Derek said, placing his hands on either side of Stiles’ face. “I cannot believe that you would say and do something that reckless.”

“Well, believe it,” Stiles said weakly, shrugging before grabbing the back of Derek’s shirt. “Because it happened. And you really should have seen this coming, I mean-.”

“How the hell could I have seen you trying to turn yourself into a martyr for me coming?”

“I… don’t know,” Stiles said. “You know me, never able to shut my mouth.”

“Then why couldn’t you have gone on about how you weren’t defending me?”

“Because it would have been a lie,” Stiles sighed. “They would’ve figured it out. Besides, I’d rather have died telling the truth.”

“The truth about me being your Alpha?” Derek asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Stiles breathed. “You are, in case you were worrying about it or something. In more ways than one and if you’re willing to put all of this behind you for a second I’d love for you to show me just how much you are my Alpha.”

And there definitely weren’t any complaints about that.


	51. Hugging

No one ever believed Stiles when he said that Derek was the biggest hugger in the world.

No one.

Seriously.

He had asked everyone and they had all looked at him like he was insane.

Stiles had been just as taken aback and more than a little unbelieving before he saw the proof of it. Derek Hale was a serial hugger and Stiles was more than willing to be the victim huggee.

It started with just little things like after a big fight or even just a little argument they had between themselves. Derek would always hold onto Stiles, gripping the back of his shirt or running a hand through his hair or burying his face in his shoulder.

Then there were the hugs from behind. It didn’t matter what Stiles was doing, but if he was standing up Derek would find a way to wrap his arms around him and pull him back against his chest.

Cuddling was also a popular activity whether watching TV or after an extremely satisfying session under the sheets (or on the sheets or in the shower or on the floor or on an armchair or the couch or the dining room table). Spooning seemed to be Derek’s embrace of choice though because Stiles couldn’t remember the last time he had woken up and not had a werewolf plastered against his back.

So, yeah, Derek Hale was Mr. Hugs and Stiles was the only one to realize that.

And that was just fine with him.


	52. Star Gazing

Despite popular belief, double dates with Scott and Allison had never been _that_ bad. Of course they were awkward at first because Scott and Derek hadn’t really been buddies and Allison’s aunt had killed Derek’s entire family, but eventually things worked out.

Usually they did normal double date things like a movie or bowling or mini-golf, but tonight Scott was feeling romantic and had dragged them out to the preserve for star gazing.

_Star gazing._

Allison was some kind of astronomy guru though because every five seconds she pointed out a new constellation while Scott tried to make out his own and okay, they were kind of adorable, but Derek was grumpy and Stiles was kind of cold.

“Y’know, it’s kind of cold out here,” Stiles said, side-eying Derek.

“You should have brought a jacket,” Derek said, stuffing his hands into his own leather jacket.

“Here you go, buddy!” Scott said, taking off his hoody and throwing it at Stiles.

Of course it hit him in the face before Stiles could even make a move to catch it. “Thanks, Scott.”

He was in the process of shrugging it on when he squinted up at the sky, finally being able to make out a constellation.

“Big Dipper!” he announced, pointing to the sky.

“Oh yeah, I’m surprised I missed that,” Allison said.

“One point for Team Stiles & Derek,” Derek murmured just so Stiles could hear.

“You got that right, baby, we’re catching up.”

“There’s Orion,” Allison pointed out before smirking at Stiles and Derek. “What is that? Twelve points for Team Scott & Allison?”

Damn she was good.


	53. Serenity

He never thought he could have this.

Well, before it had seemed like a possibility of course. When he had been growing up it seemed like something of an inevitability to be with someone like this and for everything to be right. After the fire he couldn’t see himself having it anymore.

But here he was, lying back in his bed (and it wasn’t in a run-down apartment he shared with his sister or in the burnt husk of his childhood home or in an abandoned train depot) with Stiles (sarcastic, flailing, absolutely impossible Stiles) curled up against him and sharing leisurely kisses with him.

_Him._

It was still beyond strange to him the someone willingly wanted to spend time with him like this. He had made sure to tell Stiles every chance he could that he was too broken for him and too old for him and too _wrong_ for him, but Stiles had just rolled his eyes before telling him that he _love_ _d_ him.

“We should probably get out of bed,” Stiles mumbled against Derek’s mouth.

“Do you really want to?” Derek asked, stopping the hand that had been stroking Stiles’ back by cupping his hip. “Because I can think of a lot of things to do in bed.”

“So can I actually,” Stiles said, smiling. “But my dad already thinks I’m at Scott’s and he can only cover for me for so long.”

Derek sighed, leaning his head back against the pillow. “Well, in that case you should get going.”

“Yeah,” Stiles said, sighing as well.

There were a few beats of silence before Stiles was kissing him again and all thoughts of letting him leave his bed left Derek’s mind.


	54. Freedom

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m always serious.”

And, okay, Stiles really could have cracked a joke on that one. Something about sour wolves and big grumpy werewolves or something, but he just couldn’t. He couldn’t because now he knew Derek and Derek wasn’t always serious.

“Derek, you’re being stupid.”

“No I’m not.”

“Yeah, you really are,” Stiles said. “I don’t care about going to some Ivy League college, I care about staying close to you and my dad and Scott.”

“You got into some great schools, Stiles.”

“And I’m not going,” he said. “So stop giving me this stupid speech about you breaking up with me for my own freedom because it’s not going to work.”

“Stiles.”

“Nope, nope, I’m staying right here.”

Derek looked like he was going to argue again because there was no way he was going to let this die, but Stiles just shook his head.

“I have all the freedom I could possibly want here, with you.”


	55. Inkling

“Huh,” Stiles said, leaning back against his chair.

“What?” Derek asked.

“Oh nothing.”

Derek looked up at the younger man sitting across from him, trying not to look too agitated (and probably failing at it). “Stiles, what?”

“It’s nothing.”

“ _Stiles_.”

“You repeating my name over and over again really isn’t going to do anything.”

“What about me repeatedly punching you in the face?”

“Why do you always jump so quickly to violence?”

“Stiles, just tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“ _Stiles_.”

“And there you go again.”

Derek glared. Stiles grinned.

“I just have an inkling.”

“About what?”

“Something.”

“I might have to rip your throat out.”

“Don’t you feel like that threat’s getting old?”

“ _Stiles_.”


	56. Sunlight

It had been raining for the past week (okay, maybe not _that_ long) and Stiles was just coming to terms that he would never see the sun again. It was okay, sure he would miss it, but he had pale skin and he definitely didn’t tan.

Actually he was really missing it because everything in Beacon Hills was fine. Lydia didn’t have nightmares anymore (well, she did, but just the usual ones where it was Black Friday and she had forgot to set her alarm). Scott and Allison were finally back together and they didn’t have to sneak around anymore. Isaac finally had a home and wasn’t being pushed to the side.

And Stiles was doing pretty well himself in the bed in Derek’s loft, wrapped up in his sheets while the Alpha werewolf kissed him until he forgot that breathing through your nose was extremely useful.

“I think I’m going to die from asphyxiation,” Stiles said once he had pried his mouth from Derek’s and finally breathed. “And not the sexy kind either.”

“There’s a sexy kind of asphyxiation?” Derek asked.

“Yes and yes I Google way too many random things,” Stiles said. “Like what’s the best kind of dog food for a golden retriever and how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop and when is the sun returning to Beacon Hills.”

“I thought you liked the rain.”

“I do, but things are finally good with everyone and I feel like the weather should reflect that.”

“I’m sure the weather will get right on that.”

“Yeah, you’re hilarious.”

“No, the sun’s coming out,” Derek said, nodding behind him to where the sun was peeking through the clouds.

“Oh God, seriously?” Stiles groaned. “Now I’m gonna have to start wearing sunblock.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I have very fair skin.”


	57. Body Shots

"Dude, you’re not going to believe what’s happening in the basement," Scott said, grabbing Stiles’ wrist and dragging him through the kitchen.

"Uh, not what we’re getting paid to do, I’m guessing?" Stiles said, holding onto his tray of baby quiches like a lifeline. "And why were you even in the basement?"

"Because Ms. Martin said that we couldn’t use the upstairs bathrooms," Scott shrugged.

That made sense. Every other event they had catered at the Martin house had been the same. Actually every event Ms. Martin had attended had held the same rule: Caterers and servers weren’t allowed to use the guest bathrooms. It was like people who worked for a living held some kind of disease.

"Anyway, you have to check out the basement," Scott continued. "There is this beautiful girl and she’s doing body shots on this other beautiful girl."

"They’re doing body shots in the basement of a charity event?"

"Yep and they’re around our age too, so I don’t think they’ll mind us hanging out."

Well that was a little… daring. It was the summer before their senior year of high school and Stiles couldn’t exactly see the appeal of getting busted drinking alcohol while he was on the job… at a charity event.

Nevertheless extra help got called in and Ms. Martin deemed the main room too crowded and Stiles was being dragged downstairs by Scott. And he wasn’t exactly disappointed by what he saw.

A dark-haired girl was currently licking salt off of Lydia Martin’s stomach while a lot of other beautiful (and most likely rich) people stood around, watching. It was hot, especially when their lips met in the middle around the lime. Stiles was more than happy to just stick around and watch when he heard a voice from right behind him.

"Cora, let’s go."

The dark-haired girl looked over with an annoyed expression and Stiles looked around the room, only to find Scott snuggled away in a corner with the new girl at their school.

"Really, Derek?" Cora asked, folding her arms across her chest. "You honestly think that’s going to work?"

Her eyes moved from Derek to Stiles and he froze up, not used to having someone challenge him so openly.

"I’ll go if you do a shot on the scrawny catering guy."

That was apparently Stiles’ cue to burst out laughing. Because this was just his luck, he tried to be cool. He tried to get involved in normal things kids his age did and now he was being auctioned up to some random guy who probably wasn’t even- holy shit.

Okay, after turning around and looking at the guy, he couldn’t find the heart to say no.

"I’m not doing that," Derek said.

"Then I’m not going home with you," she shrugged, looking at Lydia who was now perched on the edge of the table. "I’m sure Lydia will let me stay the night."

And that was a visual that Stiles wanted to keep in his mind forever.

"Fine, as long as he’s okay with it."

It was at that moment that everyone in the room turned to look at Stiles. Even Scott was looking at him with wide eyes before giving him an encouraging thumbs up.

"So, do you mind?" Derek asked.

"Uh, no," Stiles said before he could even think about it. "I mean, yeah, I’m- I’m down with that."

From the corner of his eye he could see Scott smacking his forehead. Okay, maybe his hip terminology needed work. Starting with omitting “hip” from his vocabulary.

"Get on the table," Derek sighed, nodding to where Lydia was stepping down and Cora was backing away from.

He could still back out, it wasn’t too late. He could still run upstairs and continue serving people tiny foods.

But this was probably the most social thing he had done in his entire life and Derek was hot (and definitely not a high school student or maybe even a college student, he looked old enough to be in grad school). His reasons were shallow, but he was 17 and 17 year-olds were supposed to be shallow.

"So, uh where do you want the salt to go?" Stiles asked, sitting up on the table.

"Your wrist is fine."

"Nuh-uh, bro," Cora said. "Stomach."

Derek looked up at the ceiling, obviously not enjoying this one bit.

"Only if he’s okay with it."

"You okay with it, Stilinski?" Cora asked.

"Ye- Yeah," Stiles stuttered, nodding. "I mean, I can dig that."

He heard Scott smack his forehead again from the other side of the room.

"You should unbutton his shirt for him, Derek," Lydia - Lydia _fucking_ Martin - suggested.

There was some chuckling in the room along with a wolf whistle before Cora agreed, mouth set up in a smirk.

"That okay with you?" Derek asked, his expression getting angrier by the second.

And it was so obvious that this was the last thing he wanted to be doing. That all he was trying to do was get his underage sister to come home with him and not stay at a stupid high school party (that was in the basement at a charity event).

"No," Stiles said, shaking his head. "I’ve got it."

He yanked his tie off before anyone could protest and then unbuttoned his shirt as quickly as he could. After shrugging it off his shoulders and pulling his undershirt over his head he started to feel self-conscious.

And cold.

Like damn someone liked their air conditioning.

"Just lie back," Derek said, his voice so low that Stiles was sure he was the only one who could hear. "And we’ll get this over with."

Okay, ouch. That stung a little.

"Not like that," Derek sighed. "I just want to get my sister home."

"Yeah, no, totally get that."

"It’s not like I wouldn’t want to meet you at some party and lick salt off your stomach under more normal circumstances."

Stiles’ face heated up at that and Derek grinned at him before motioning toward Lydia who was holding the salt shaker with a devious look in her eye. She moved forward, frowning at Stiles’ torso before smirking. He would have watched, but Cora was handing him a lime slice and pointing toward his mouth like he was too stupid to understand vocal instructions.

Stiles placed the slice into his mouth, just barely biting down on it when he noticed that there was salt on his nipples. And that was definitely not part of the agreement. He looked up at Derek who was just staring at his nipples before looking at Stiles.

He would forever blame the pressure of the spotlight that he nodded his consent enthusiastically.

"All right, big bro," Cora said, pouring tequila into a shot glass and setting it down next to Stiles. "Go for it."

Derek sighed, meeting Stiles’ eyes one more time before curling a hand around his hip and ducking down. If Stiles’ mouth wasn’t occupied with the lime there was no doubt some embarrassing noises would have been coming out of him.

Because Derek was slow and steady as he ran his tongue up from below his navel to the center of his chest. He paused once or twice to slip his tongue back into his mouth before going again and the pauses nearly killed him because they left Stiles feeling so _open._

Everyone was watching Derek, not him, and he really didn’t want that to change.

It probably did though when Derek licked a broad stripe over one of his nipples and a small moan escaped from him even with the lime slice in place. Derek’s eyes flicked up to meet his and he knew that his face was dark red.

And that asshole had the audacity to smirk before latching on to his other nipple, licking the salt away before sucking on the nub. Stiles’ hand spasmed at his side and something more like a whimper came out of him. Because he was so fucking sensitive there and now the entire popular crowd at his school knew that.

Derek pulled back, grabbing the shot of tequila and throwing it back without even flinching. Then he was surging forward, grabbing the lime slice from between Stiles’ lips and spitting it to the floor before taking the back of Stiles’ head and pressing their lips together.

There was applause for some reason along with a few whistles and disgusted noises from Scott and Cora, but Stiles couldn’t bring himself to care. Because he had never really imagined his first kiss to be like this, but complaining would be pretty stupid when Derek was slipping his tongue into his mouth and bringing him close.

"Okay, fine!" Cora said. "I’ll come home with you."

Derek pulled back slightly, dark green eyes locked on Stiles. “Good, but after I drop you off I’m taking this one back to my loft.”

_Holy motherfucking-_

"If that’s okay with him, that is."

"Yeah, that- that sounds so hip."

Scott smacked his forehead again.


	58. Not His Fault

He didn’t know what he was doing. And that was making him more panicky than anything, because he almost always knew what he was doing. But this time he just didn’t and Derek was bleeding onto his carpet and he couldn’t do anything.

Well he could do something, but not what Derek needed since Stiles wasn’t a physician.

"I don’t think Neosporin is going to work," Derek said, his voice soft and weak.

"It’s the only thing I could find," Stiles said, as he sat down next to Derek. "I couldn’t even find peroxide. I mean, we have to have some somewhere. I’ll try the bathroom downstairs."

"No," Derek said, hand looping around Stiles’ wrist. "Just stay."

"Are you sure? Because I can go to the store and-."

“ _Stay_ , Stiles.”

And he really wasn’t going to say no to that. He sat down next to Derek, hand placed hesitantly on his shoulder as he watched the older man slowly heal.

"We have to do something about him, Derek."

"It’s not his fault."

"I know he’s the only family you really have left since Cora moved, but-."

"We’ll talk about it in the morning."

"Derek-."

"Just let me heal, Stiles," Derek said, tilting his head against Stiles’ wall and closing his eyes. "Just let me have time to think about this."


	59. Elevator

"So, you come here often?"

Okay. Maybe not his best opener to this situation.

"The elevator?" Handsome Grumpy Guy asked. "Yeah, a lot actually. I never get stuck in it though."

"Same here," Stiles nodded before pausing. "Well, I mean, I’ve never been in this elevator before, but I’ve been in a lot of elevators. Never gotten stuck in one though."

HGG just grunted, obviously not wanting to indulge Stiles in some conversation. The service guys were on their way so hopefully they wouldn’t be stuck for too long.

"So, what’s your name?"

Make that another question he probably shouldn’t have asked HGG.

"You having a bad day or something?"

All right, three strikes and he was out. Stiles raised his hands in surrender, leaning against the wall of the elevator before sliding down to the floor.

"I spy with my little eye, something that is green," Stiles tried.

"My irises."

"How the hell did you get that so fast?"

"Because nothing else is green in this elevator."

"Yeah, but that was really fast."

"Derek and my day was made bad by being stuck in an elevator on my way to meet someone."

"Oh, I’m sorry, man," Stiles said. "Not that your parents named you Derek, that’s a great name, but about the elevator thing."

Derek shrugged, sitting down on the floor across from Stiles.

"I’m Stiles."

That got him a nod.

"Who are you meeting?"

"My older sister."

"That sounds fun."

"Not when she’s going to laugh at me for getting stuck in an elevator."

"Well it’s not your fault."

"Yeah, but then she’ll know that I took an elevator instead of the stairs."

Stiles didn’t have any siblings, so he didn’t really get the whole teasing thing, but clearly this was a major bummer to Derek. He kind of felt bad for pestering the guy, so he offered the only entertainment he knew to offer in an elevator.

"Wanna make-out?"

Derek looked at him with his ridiculous eyebrows raised before shrugging. And if their hair and clothes were slightly disheveled when they were rescued, then that was just between them.


	60. Eiffel Tower

It wasn’t exactly how he had pictured their anniversary going. He had had meticulously planned their entire first day in Paris, had researched everything so thoroughly that he thought Stiles would be a little proud.

And everything had been going fine until Stiles had proposed they go to the top of the Eiffel Tower instead of just the first level like Derek had planned. That was fine though, he could work that in the schedule.

What he couldn’t work into the schedule was Stiles being afraid of heights.

"Holy God I could die at any second."

"We’re not even close to the rail, Stiles."

"What if the tower just collapsed right now? What if it just decided to say ‘fuck you tourists’ and just collapse?"

"It’s not going to collapse."

"You never know Derek," Stiles said, his voice coming out shaky and a little wheezy. "Why did you bring me up here?"

"You wanted to come to the top."

"Yeah, because it seemed romantic at the time," Stiles shrugged. "I wanted to romance you in the most romantic city on top of the most romantic structure in the world. Seemed like a good idea at the time."

"And it was a good idea," Derek assured, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Stiles. "You want to head back down now?"

"Yes please."


	61. Midnight Skinny Dipping

"I don’t think I can do this."

"This was your idea, Stiles."

"I know, but… I’m kind of fucking scared out of my mind right now."

"We don’t have to do this tonight," Derek said, sliding a hand up his back and settling on his neck. "We can come back tomorrow or next week or ten years from now."

"Ten years sounds good," Stiles said. "But, no, fuck, I’m gonna do this."

“ _We’re_ going to do this,” Derek corrected.

Stiles nodded, continuing to look at the deep lake in front of them. It was midnight because no one came into the preserve at midnight. Derek didn’t exactly own the land anymore and getting caught trespassing didn’t seem like a lot of fun.

"Don’t freak out, but I think I have to do this naked," Stiles said.

There was a brief silence then.

"Why exactly?"

"Because the last time I was in a body of water I was fully clothed and I don’t want to repeat anything from that event."

Another silence hung between them before he felt Derek nod. And he didn’t even know how he did that, how he _knew_ Derek’s body language without even seeing it.

"Doing the opposite of last time, makes sense," Derek said. "Because this is a lake, not a pool. And I’m doing this not paralyzed and completely naked."

"You’re getting naked too?"

"I’m not going to let you do it alone."

Derek grinned at him and Stiles felt warmth fill him up. Because they weren’t anything, not officially anyway. But there was something there. Some unspoken thing between them. It was the thing that made Stiles turn down the sophomore girl who had asked him out because he was already seeing someone. It was the thing that had made his dad interrogate Derek for hours.

It was a thing without a name and Stiles really really liked it.

"Want some help?" Derek asked.

Stiles nodded, his face heating up more as Derek grabbed the bottom of his shirt, tugging it over his head before spreading his hands across Stiles’ skin.

"God, you’re beautiful."

"M’not."

"Of course you are," Derek said, lips running up Stiles’ neck and hands making their way underneath his pants.

They didn’t do this often. Because Derek had some issues with being touched by someone else and Stiles still didn’t know exactly what he was doing.

"You’re just saying that to get in my pants."

"I’m already in your pants," Derek said, squeezing Stiles’ bare ass to emphasize his point.

His fingers trailed between his cheeks and Stiles made a soft noise in the back of his throat, placing his hands on Derek’s still-clothed shoulders and squeezing. “Derek, we came here for a reason.”

"I know," the older man said, shrugging. "Doesn’t mean we can’t do both."

"You brought lube, didn’t you?"

"Always have to be prepared."

"God you are such a boyscout."


	62. Reese's Pieces

"I don’t think I can love a man who doesn’t like peanut butter."

Leave it to Stiles to make the stupidest thing into a huge deal.

"I thought dogs were supposed to love peanut butter."

"I’m not a dog, Stiles."

"Yeah, apparently not, because you hate peanut butter."

"I don’t _hate_ it,” Derek said. “It’s just not my favorite thing.”

"But why not?"

"I just don’t like it that much."

"But it’s delicious."

"To you."

"No, it’s just delicious," Stiles said. "Fact. That is a definite fact. Here, try a Reese’s Piece."

"Stiles, no."

"It’s chocolate and peanut butter."

"They only taste like sugary peanut butter."

"Chocolate shell, Derek."

"Chocolate shell that you can’t taste."

Stiles flicked a Reese’s Piece at his forehead. He really should have seen that coming.


	63. Halloween

This entire thing was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Because who the hell bought their pumpkin on Halloween? Carve the Jack-O’-Lantern on Halloween? Of course. Buy the actual pumpkin on the holiday? That was pushing it.

Stiles was working the noon shift (just his luck) at the local (and only) produce market in Beacon Hills. It gave him spare cash and a way to waste time, so he had never complained before. But Halloween was a bitch.

Especially since everyone thought that their bruised pumpkin deserved a discount. Like it was his fault they had waited until the last minute to pick the least crappiest pumpkin out of the crappy ones that were left.

Another pumpkin was placed on the counter after an elderly couple left with a dozen (apparently they were making a lot of pumpkin-related things and that sounded like such a pain). Stiles sighed, picking it up and placing it on the scale before _really_ looking at the pumpkin.

It was absolutely perfect. It was the best pumpkin he had seen not only all day, but the entire season. It was like the Great Pumpkin had delivered it himself.

"I hid it."

Stiles looked away from the pumpkin and to the customer. The customer who was Derek Hale. And oh God, this was not happening right now.

Because Stiles had been practically stalking Derek since he had been ten and Derek had been 17 and he had never been face-to-face with the guy before and-.

"I was with my sister a week ago and I didn’t have money on me to buy it at the time," Derek continued, oblivious to Stiles’ inner turmoil. "So, I hid it behind the fountains and hoped it’d still be there when I got around to buying one."

There was an awkward silence between them as Derek nervously scratched his neck and Stiles just gaped at him.

"Sorry, that was kind of a stupid story," Derek said. "You just looked surprised and I figured-."

"No," Stiles said quickly. "Nope, not a stupid story. Awesome story. Totally smart idea too, no one goes near the fountains."

Derek grinned and Stiles might have been internally swooning while giving Derek his change.

"So, uh, happy Halloween, I guess," Stiles said.

"Happy Halloween," Derek returned, taking the pumpkin from the counter. "I’ll see you around, Stiles."


	64. Curling and Snuggle

"What is with your weird obsession with this sport?" Stiles asked, leaning back against Derek’s chest.

"It’s exciting."

"No it’s not, it’s dumb," Stiles said. "They’re sweeping ice."

"They’re not sweeping ice."

"It looks like they’re sweeping the ice."

Stiles didn’t even have to look at Derek to know that he was rolling his eyes. It wasn’t his fault that whenever the Olympics were on TV, Derek just had to watch. He even set the DVR to record all the coverage when they weren’t in the loft.

"If you’re just going to make fun of it, you can go."

"You’re not serious."

"Of course I am."

"But this is what we do," Stiles said. "You make fun of what I like, I make fun of what you like, we end up having sex somewhere, it’s how we work."

"Well not today."

Stiles craned his neck back, seeing the blank and serious expression on Derek’s face. He felt his mouth open a bit, not really believing that Derek would actually kick him out.

"Okay fine, I’ll shut up," Stiles said.

Derek snorted and Stiles would have been offended if he hadn’t started talking again about five minutes later.


	65. Ladder

There weren’t anymore rogue Alphas or Kanimas or Darachs or Nogitsunes or anything else dangerously supernatural in Beacon Hills. Stiles found it all weirdly bizarre, that they were just living normal lives again. He couldn’t even remember what he did before Scott had been bitten. Oh right, World of Warcraft.

The normalcy probably wouldn’t have been too strange if he weren’t in his backyard, holding a ladder as Derek Hale climbed it to clean out the gutters. After being possessed his dad hadn’t wanted him to do anything too strenuous and even though he fought him on it, he was a bit relieved. He wasn’t really the same anymore. He was tired a lot and had moments where he felt physically weak, always needing to take a few moments to sit before standing again.

But his dad had elected Derek of all people to clean out their gutters and that was just beyond weird.

"You can go back inside."

Stiles looked up, just now realizing that he’d been staring at the metal of the ladder, in a daze.

"What?" he asked, squinting at Derek who was standing on the roof.

"I can text you when I need you to hold the ladder again," Derek said. "I can just walk on the roof to clear the gutters. You should go inside and rest."

"I’m fine," Stiles said. "And why do you even need me to hold the ladder anyway? I seem to recall you appearing in my second story bedroom without any aide before."

"That was before it was Spring and people were outside a lot," Derek explained. "What will it look like to your neighbors when I just jump on and off your roof?"

"Okay, point taken," Stiles nodded. "But I don’t need to go inside, I can just sit on the patio."

"You won’t be bored?"

"I’ve got Fruit Ninja, I’ll survive," Stiles shrugged. "Just yell at me when you need me."

"Will do."

Stiles headed to the patio, sitting down on one of the Adirondack chairs and taking out his phone. He didn’t know how much time had passed (slashing at fruits and avoiding bombs was a surprisingly good way to pass the time) when a gray v-neck fell on his head, damp with sweat and smelling like a stupidly attractive werewolf.

He looked up at the roof, seeing a (gloriously, wonderfully) half-naked Derek Hale looking down at him. The older man shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips, “I got hot.”

Maybe he should have just gone inside.


	66. Glasses and Pillow

"I didn’t know you wore glasses."

"Holy shit, we’ve got another Sherlock Holmes on our hands," Stiles said, rolling his eyes as he continued to scroll through pages on his laptop. "My contacts were bugging me. What are you doing here?"

"You want the truth or the lie I’m supposed to give you?"

Stiles looked up from his computer. Derek leaned against Stiles’ desk, glancing down at him with the classic Derek Hale look of inquisition (working title).

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you want the lie or the truth?"

"Truth, obviously."

"I’m on Stiles Watching Duty tonight."

And that… didn’t make any sense. Derek’s expression wasn’t giving anything away either, he was as mild as ever.

"What is that?"

"It was my idea."

"Of course it was."

"Scott’s idea to keep it a secret from you though."

"Yeah, Scott would never lie to me, try again."

"I’m telling the truth," Derek shrugged. "I thought it’d be a good idea to keep one of us with you at all times after your possession. Scott agreed but he thought it’d be better to not tell you, he didn’t want you to feel betrayed."

"I feel betrayed now."

"I tried to tell him."

Derek Hale, the voice of reason, who would have thunk it?

"How long has this been going on?"

"Less than a week," Derek shrugged. "This is my first shift, so that’s why I’m just now telling you. It’s also why your dad let me in the front door."

"My dad let you in?"

"Your dad likes me."

"He had you in the back of his police car."

"That was your fault."

Stiles gaped at him, watching as he walked to his bed before lounging back on it. And then sitting upright, looking at his pillow like it had personally offended him.

"Jesus, do you hump your pillow in your sleep?" Derek asked, his nose scrunched up in distaste.

Stiles felt his face heat up and he turned back to his laptop screen, dutifully ignoring the werewolf on his bed.

"It was a joke, Stiles, your pillow smells fine."

He kept ignoring him, opening up a new tab to check his email.

"It smells nice, it smells like you."

And he definitely didn’t look at Derek then because he knew that he was just going to be blushing even harder.


End file.
